


Egalitarianism?

by Jarakrisafis



Category: Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-15
Updated: 2011-08-15
Packaged: 2017-10-23 23:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/256390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarakrisafis/pseuds/Jarakrisafis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>egalitarianism: the belief in the equality of all people. Or so the Senate says...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Egalitarianism?

“Ratchet. We have to tell somebody.”

The medic barely blinked his optics as he ran a gentle hand across his apprentice’s helm. “Who do we tell?”

“There must be somebody who would care.” First Aid said as he pressed into his mentor’s side.

Ratchet flared his EM field comfortingly around the young mech, fragging Senate orders. First Aid wasn’t ready for this. “Have you heard of the Kaon uprising?”

Aid raised his helm slightly. “No. Should I?”

“I suppose not. The Senate wouldn’t want such knowledge to be common knowledge.” Ratchet raised a hand to an approaching mech as he kept his attention on First Aid. “The uprising was led by a miner named Megatron. The Senate called it a revolt against the very heart of Cybertronian culture. The miners and gladiators, slaves to that very culture called it a rebellion.”

First Aid hunched his shoulders, plating rattling in agitation. “They lost didn’t they?”

“Yes. We lost.”

Ratchet clicked gently as Aid started in surprise at the voice so close to them. The newcomer blinked red optics as he regarded the young mech. “We don’t bite youngling.” The optics lifted up to regard Ratchet, “The Senate is sending younglings down to the pit now?”

Ratchet reached out to grasp a battered white shoulder in greeting, “Deadlock, good to see you still functioning. The Senate doesn’t care what goes on down here as long as dissenters and doubters are never seen.”

The white mech shifted slightly, armour flaring, “Well, I suppose the youngling will have to learn sometime, might as well be now.” Red optics turned away to regard the rough rock walls surrounding them as the mech made his way down the corridor. “No matter what you see down here youngling, you will not be able to speak about it.”

“Why?” First Aid asked as Deadlock stepped aside, the corridor coming out on a ledge overlooking a busy cavern.

“Because if you do the next time you come down here you won’t be going back out.” The mech crouched down, optics roving over the bubbling magma, hot enough to scorch the plating off any mech unlucky enough to get too close as the heat was transformed into energy, and sent onwards to be refined.

“Welcome to mining station MV245-68H.”

First Aid shuddered. “How can the Senate allow this? They, they said that all Cybertronians are worthy.” The young medic said in horror as he stared at the activity below.

Ratchet wrapped an arm around the younger mech. “What the Senate says and what the Senate does is two separate things.”

“So, why, why are we here?”

Deadlock shook his plating out, amusement rippling across his frame. “Because the Senate didn’t realise all medics are stubborn fraggers.”

“These are listed as prison colonies where only mechs who have committed the gravest of crimes are sent.” First Aid looked at Ratchet then glanced over at the mech who was still watching the cavern.

“So, what did you do?”

Deadlock snorted, the crackle of static echoing as he stared directly at the young mech. “I asked for my freedom and this equality the Senate spoke of. I followed Megatron.” He lifted an arm, showing an electronic tag welded around his wrist. “This is the Senate's equality.” He turned away, jumping off the ledge to hit the floor below with a dull thud.

Ratchet sighed, vents gusting soot laden air around them in a swirl. “The Senate allows medics down here every so often. It was that or we threatened to speak up about what they were doing. We are allowed to do our duty, to heal any mechs that need us, in return we stay silent.” He pushed his apprentice away from his chassis, crouching so he was optic to optic, “Aid, you cannot speak of this, not even to your gestalt brothers. I don’t want you to be tagged and left down here.”

“But we can’t just ignore them.”

Ratchet stood up, motioning towards a roughly hewn ramp tucked into the side of the rock “What can we do if we end up down here as well?”

The young medic opened his mouth to reply before shutting it again, hands clenching as he turned away from his mentor, heading towards the ramp to enter the facility.

Ratchet vented again as he followed. There were times he wished that Megatron had not fallen, that the rebellion had been successful. After all, it couldn’t be much worse than this.


End file.
